AbstractBackground: Physical Anthropology provides scientific method and technique for taking various measurements in different geographic regions and races. The femur itself is a complex anatomic unit so anthropometric study was devised on the same. Aims & Objectives: The study was aimed at determining measurements for obtaining Platymeric index, Robusticity index and Foraminal index for both right and left femur. Material & Methods: In the present study 106 (58 right and 48 left) intact adult femora were obtained from the bone bank of Anatomy Department of MGIMS, Sevagram. For this purpose a sliding caliper and osteometric board were used. Results: The Physiological Length of left femur came out to be 42.95 ± 1.67 cms and 42.69 ± 1.94 for right femur. Similarly Robusticity index was 14.44 ± 1.23 and 13.11 ± 0.93 for left and right femur respectively. The platymeric index for left and right femur came out to be 87.63 ± 7.34 and 86.49 ± 6.77 respectively. Whereas Foraminal index was between 33- 62% for left femur and between 31-61% for right femur when calculated from proximal end. Similarly number of nutrient foramina ranges from increasing frequency of single, double and triple foramina for left femur and in the increasing frequency of single, double and triple foramina per bone in right femur. Conclusion: Comparison of various indices in right and left femora has shown statistically insignificant but left one has shown higher values as compare to their right counterparts. The findings observed are of immense utility for medico legal experts. The details of data obtained with relevant review of literature will be discussed.
Keywords: Physical anthropology, Femur, Platymeric index, Robusticity index, Foraminal index, bilateral variation.